This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Passive inflatable restraint systems are often used in a variety of applications, such as in motor vehicles. When a vehicle decelerates due to a collision or another triggering event occurs, an inflatable restraint system deploys an airbag cushion to prevent contact between the occupant and the vehicle to minimize occupant injuries. Airbag systems typically include an inflator that can be connected to the one or more inflatable airbags positioned within the vehicle, and can rapidly produce a quantity of inflation fluid or gas that can fill the airbag(s) to protect the occupant(s). Such inflatable airbag cushions may desirably deploy into one or more locations within the vehicle between the occupant and certain parts of the vehicle interior, such as the doors, steering wheel, instrument panel, headliner, or the like, to prevent or avoid the occupant from forcibly striking such parts of the vehicle interior during collisions or roll-overs.
One common type of inflator device for an airbag system contains a quantity of stored pressurized or compressed fluid (e.g., gas) for release into an airbag. Such designs often involve heating and further pressurizing the stored fluid precursor within a gas storage chamber prior to inflating the airbag. Another common form or type of inflator device generates gas for the airbag cushion by combustion of a pyrotechnic gas generating material. Yet another type of a compressed gas inflator is commonly referred to as a “hybrid inflator,” which can supply inflation gas because of a combination of stored compressed gas and combustion products resulting from the combustion of a gas generating pyrotechnic material. Hybrid inflators tend to be used in larger volume airbag applications.
In various aspects, these inflators, whether in pyrotechnic gas generant, a stored gas, or a hybrid type often employ high strength chambers or fluid storage vessels capable of withstanding temperature and gas pressures generated during an airbag deployment. Thus, it is desirable to further improve reliability and robustness of such chambers in the airbag inflator module while exhibiting improved inflation performance and durability, while providing a more economical manufacturing process.